


Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor

by Kibbles



Category: Batfamily - Fandom, Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: A/B/O verse, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Animals, Angst, Animal Death, Blood and Gore, Bonding, Characters are mostly as wolves, Damian is the oldest and Dick is the youngest, Family Fluff, Gen, Multi, Not Beta Read, Omegaverse, Violence, more ships to come later, reversed age
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 23:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6880384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kibbles/pseuds/Kibbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing up is hard, especially when you are not at the top of the food chain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sol lucet omnibus

**Author's Note:**

> I am truly sorry for any English mistake, I do not have any beta and I am still learning. Please let me know if you would like me to correct anything.  
> I hope you like it - thank you for reading !!!

Bruce hadn't planned on coming across a murder site when he left the den early this morning.

He had brought his first and oldest son, Damian, as well as the youngest pup of their pack. The later, named Jason, was finally allowed to hunt along with the two alphas and even though he had a lot to grasp, Bruce felt he was a fast learner and had done a lot of progress since the first time they took him out. Today, Jason had managed to hunt down a rabbit under the sharp eyes of his instructors. Skillfully placing one paw in front of the other, his body laying low and all muscles tense, he had stalked his prey and waited for the opportunity to throw himself out of his hideout and give it a fatal bite on the back of its neck. He had been carrying the body proudly in his mouth, until now.

The three of them had been on the trail of an unknown pack. It was the first time they smelled their scent on their territory and it was necessary for B. to meet them, to make sure they were only passing by and not being a potential threat. Otherwise, he and Damian would have to fight them out. This forest had been their territories for years, and it was going to be theirs for much more to come. However it seemed like someone had been faster than them and took care of the issue beforehand. Blood was splattered all over the area, against the trunk of trees, painting the leaves of familiar bushes and grass. The wind carried smells telling stories, the smell of fight between humans and wolves. The smell of gunpowder and fear. Most of the bodies were gone, but some had been left behind as if they were not good enough; too damaged to make acceptable trophies.

B. watched as Damian was walking around, his head low and warning his little adopted brother of the possible danger. "There could still be traps." He heard him growl. "We don't know if they will come back." Jason rolled his eyes when the oldest wasn't looking. He sniffed one of the bodies, his muzzle pressing against the greasy fur. The warmth was completely gone and the animal's limbs were stiff , yet the smell of the men was still clearly present. The massacre must have been recent - a few hours ago, which was making Jason confused. Why would humans attack a pack of wolves in the middle of the night ? Their eyes were not as developed, they were slow and clumsy and yet they had won the fight. The young wolf went to another body close by the one he had smelled. Muttering to himself, he noticed this one had tried to protect a litter of pups. "They're all dead."  
He brushed all six of them with his muzzle. None of them were moving and Jason felt anger grow inside his stomach. Why would a creature be cruel enough to kill a mother and leave her and her offsprings for dead? The more he learned about humans, the more he hated them. A yelp took him out of his angry thoughts, a jump to the side and his fur erected along his spine, he looked back to the litter. Cries were coming from one of them, it was struggling between its siblings who blocked any of its movement. Jason called to B. and his older brother. "There's still one alive !" He looked back at the small creature and before he could add anything the two were next to him. He shifted so there was enough room for Bruce to examine the struggling puppy. He watched as the adult gently lifted the youngster who was now screaming and wriggling wildly. A feisty one. Jason couldn't help but feel amused. He kept his eyes locked on the pup as the Alpha placed him back on the floor. His ears and eyes were open, and his coat was a mixture of dark grey and black. His deep blue eyes stared at them, a high pitched growl making its way out of its tiny shaking body.

The three wolves looked at each other, then back at the no more than 3 weeks old puppy who was trying his best to reach the corpse of its mother as well as making itself fearsome by growling and complaining. "What do we do with it ?" Jason asked finally. He stared at the pup who had its face against the fur of its mother, probably looking for warmth and a teat that could fill its belly. He couldn't help but relate to the small being, for he too had lost his mother when he was young. He remembered his first time meeting Bruce, back when he was inexperienced and had been found stealing the freshly hunted pheasant. Luckily for him, Bruce did not try to kill him and offered him to join his pack instead. A rather small pack made of only 5 other wolves, but that was okay with him; Jason wasn't very comfortable in crowded spaces. 

Damian turned around. "Do as you wish, father. But I am not going to babysit another brat. "

" _Another brat ? Is he talking about ME ?_ " Jason thought. He threw a mean glare to the pure black wolf and wished he could reply back like he normally would back at the den. Too bad he had made a deal to keep himself well behaved so he could go on more hunts. But neither Bruce nor Damian could read his thoughts so this was okay if he sworn very loud in his head, wasn't it ?

"Jason, go get your rabbit. We're heading home."

The young pup screamed again as Bruce lifted him up, his jaw tight enough to hold him still but not so he would cause any trauma. He walked back to where Damian had disappeared and Jason hurried behind them once he collected his prize.

Once they got back to the den, the three males were greeted by a red sable coloured comrade. Wagging his tail at first, he slowly stopped and frowned as he noticed the pup in their Alpha's mouth. The little thing wasn't moving anymore, his four legs spread wide open he seemed to be stuck and had gone almost silent a while ago. Damian walked past the wolf, ignoring him completely and went to lay on his favourite spot from where he could see everything. He listened his father explain the situation to the two betas of their pack.  
Tim was a little younger than him and was already there when Damian decided to leave his mother's pack to be at his father's side. Still, he saw Tim as a lower class than he was and did not show much respect to him. The other beta was the oldest of the whole group, even older than his father. His fur was grey and shaggy, he looked tired and very slim. Damian actually liked Alfred, he was resourceful and his knowledge surpassed everyone's - though Damian did not like to admit the later.

His eyes trailed after the young Jason, who walked to his usual spot and started chewing on the dead rabbit. He seemed ridiculously pleased with himself and Damian couldn't help but sigh at the sight. His attention went back to his father who handed the puppy over to Alfred so he could check for any wound, deformation or anomaly.

Tim observed the older wolf with great care.

Ever since Damian remembered, Tim was always following Alfred around. Always watching, always ready to learn something new so he could become a better Beta. Damian liked this side of the sable coated canine, this natural curiosity, this willingness to improve his skills - that was when he felt proud to have him in his pack.  
The two older wovles talked with each other while the apparently healthy male pupp made his way in between Tim's legs who raised one of his front paw but remained in a sitting posture. The little whimpery guy rose on his back legs slightly and plunged his muzzle on the fur from Timmy's belly, looking for something he would never be able to find here.

"Ah!" Jason snorted loudly. "Looks like he sees you as his mom !"

Ears down and eyes squinted, the Beta sent little thunders to the snarky wolf before getting up without thinking twice. The young newcomer fell down and, now very upset, started to cry loudly.

"Oh my Dog, make it stop!" Jason growled, covering his ears. Damian groaned, his nap interrupted by all the noise. Surprisingly, Alfred and his father looked amused by the situation and did nothing to help.

" _This is it_." Damian thought. " _We're gonna keep the moppet._ "

Much to his displeasure, there was nothing he could do to make the adult change their minds. He had been unhappy when they took in Jason, and even more so when he learned it was his duty to watch over him. Another wolf, another chance of getting another alpha. Another risk of having a rival and loose his position in the hierarchy. They still didn't know for sure what Jason was; still too young to have his first heat, and his scent had not fully developed yet. Now there was a new player on the board and he had to watch him grow and wait patiently until something would give in his nature. But for now, he wanted the scream to cease. He wanted him to shut up. And he wanted Jason to shut up too. Jumping from his high spot, the pure black wolf grabbed Jason's trophy by one of its legs. "Hey !" The wolf grunted before snapping his jaw into the flesh of the rabbit. They both started growling, ears low and warning eye contacts. The rabbit's meat couldn't hold together for much longer and Damian ended up with the freed leg - which he quickly gulped before Jason could protest anymore.

"Asshole!" He heard him bark but ignored for this time.

He pushed Tim out of the way, quickly echanged a look at his father and put his nose close by the pup's head. The little one looked up at him, sniffed the new scent and started licking the blood off his lips and Damian started contracting his abdomen. The two younger wolves watched as he processed to regurgitate the leg he had just eaten. He licked the extra saliva and bile off his lips and looked at the pup's reaction. Behind him, he could hear Jason swear.

"You fucking stole _my_ food and just puked it all up ?!"

Once again, he ignored his grumpy brother as his new sibling sniffed the vomited pieces of meat and bones. To his satisfaction, he gave a lick at the mixture and proceeded to eat ravenously. Damian raised his head and looked at Tim dead in the eyes. "Omegas process the food of the youngs until they can eat on their own. Make sure you remember that." Tim looked back at the puppy, embarassed by the situation and wishing he could have Jason's foul mouthed for once.  
  
Soon after that, Bruce summoned Alfred and Damian to come with him to meet the other pack leaders of the area. He had to report what had happened to their territory so everyone could keep a watchful eye. Jason wanted to come, he even threw a little tantrum about it but ended up staying anyway.

Before leaving, Damian looked back at his brothers. "You are responsible for the care of Grayson, don't do anything stupid for once.“

And with that he left.  


The two remaining wolves looked at each other with the same perplexed expression. Grayson ? Did he mean the pup ? They looked at the small wolf who was still eating. Gray fur possibly inherited from his mother. Was this the reason behind the name ? They would never be sure. Damian always had a habit of finding names, even if you already came with one. To him, Jason was "Todd" and the later had drawn the conclusion it was because back when he joined the pack the frogs were singing all night long. He also called Tim "Drake", which Jason found hilarious and couldn't help but make quacking sounds to annoy his brother when he felt like it.

Tim had moved to the back of the den, carefully digging a hole big enough for him to lie in and deep enough that half of his body would not be visible. "The hell are you doing ?" Jason barked, looking at the mess of earth and small rocks pilling around.

The sable-coloured canine lifted his head, brows furrowed and unhappy with the tone his younger comrade was using. "I just remembered pregnant omegas from my previous pack, they used to dig holes during their pregnancy and would give birth to their pups there."

Jason sneered. "What, you're a Beta Timmy, you won't give birth to any pup. Did you forget that ?" His brother snapped his teeth, clearly annoyed with Jason's teasing.

"I am doing that so the new guy doesn't go wandering around. Instead of acting like a smartass you should be keeping an eye on him." Jason rolled his eyes, he was living with a bunch of grumpy party poopers who didn't know how to enjoy a little joke once in a while.  
The puppy hadn't moved from his position, too busy on munching a big piece of regurgitated meat and whimpering incomprehensible complaints. Jason walked to him, still a little upset about being forced to share his meal with the new guy.

As he brought his nose close to the puppy's tail to give it a sniff, a long high pitched growl made its way inside his ears. " _What the hell ?_ " He thought, looking at the thing not bigger than a fat rodent who was vibrating and pushing long, interrupted growls. This guy deserved a lesson.

"Hey listen now!" Jason pawed at him, making it cry as it lolled on its side and squirmed like a desperate bug stuck on its back. "There are rules here, and if you want to stay with us you better learn them quick !" The little guy wasn't listening but Jason was too excited to stop. Finally, he had lost the newbie status, he was going to be one of the big brothers and this made him feel proud. "You gotta respect your oldest, understood ? " The pupp kept making noises, but none seemed to be an answer to Jason’s question. Instead, as soon as the puppy got back on his feet, he struggled to walk away.  
Jay's ears twisted as he heard the Beta laughing. How embarrassing ! He grabbed the pupp in his mouth, squishing a little too hard for the small's liking and, after loosening his grip, brought him to Tim's freshly dug hole. There, they both sat and looked at the pupp circling the edges, whimpering and squeaking until he let a very high pitched howl come out. It sounded so sad, a desperate call for his mom.  
The siblings couldn't help but feel a stinging pain in their chest, their eyes locked on the now lying down neonate.

Tim was the first to make a move; gently, he lowered himself near the pupp and let him snuggle against his fur. Jason didn't felt like teasing him as the newborn searched for an available teat to suckle. Instead, he laid down close by and let himself doze off while listening to the little noises coming out of his little brother.


	2. Nomen Oblitum

He didn't know how long he had slept for, nor how he had ended up upside down, the top of his head resting on the flank of his sleeping brother.  
His eyes blinked slowly, his mind trying to make sense of the twisted world and its shapes. He finally noticed the neonate who was laying on his side, mouth slightly open. Was he still breathing ? Jason readjusted himself in a hurry, stealing Tim from Morpheus' arms. The older wolf looked around confused by the sudden agitation.

"Look !" Jason said, pawing against his abdomen. "Why does he look like that? He's dead?"

Tim growled at the juvenile's overstimulation; he was aware Jason didn't have any experience with puppies, but the neonate was clearly breathing and probably in a deep sleep at the moment. Though he had to admit his belly looked awfully big. A little too swollen for his liking. Maybe his brother had done well by forcing him out of his sleep.

"So ?" Jason looked at him nervously. "What do you think?"

Tim pushed his brother off of him, shook the aches out of his whole body and said : "Well the good news is, he is still alive."

"But ?" Jason nervously added.

"But his abdomen looks hard and humongous. I wonder if he ate too much."

As if he knew he was being watched, Grayson stretched his legs, yawned and smacked his lips together. He seemed uncomfortable, his head looked up to his two brothers and he frowned. Squeaks after squeaks he wriggled his chubby little body until he was able to stand up, yet after two small steps he let himself flop down again.

"What should we do ?" The question floated around for a minute or two. Both were quietly wishing that Alfred could be here and give them advice - or better, do what was needed. The newborn flopped onto his side, looking at them with expectation in his eyes. "I think we need to help him." Tim tilted his head. "All you have to do is stimulate his muscles by licking his privates."

It took a few seconds for Jason to register what Tim was suggesting. His nose wrinkled in disgust and he barked. "I am not licking his butt ! You do it, it's your job!"

The beta frowned in turn. "It was your bunny he ate! It's your duty to help him out." They stared at each other. A long, silent argument that got interrupted by an impatient whine.

  
Jason grumbled,acknowledging his loss and looked at the puppy wishing he had never found him this morning.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Days turned into weeks and soon enough Grayson was able to stumble around the den. He rarely needed his brothers to regurgitate his meals; they had started to slowly wean him off anyway. Jason thought things would get easier as the neonate grew up, but it was as if Grayson had decided to show him differently. The pup would find ways to get out of the nest Tim had previously made, and it did not matter how many times they placed him back inside - he would always find a way to escape.  
Once free, he would run around as best as his still wobbly legs allowed him and he didn't care if they were on his way, if they were sleeping or just standing there. He ignored the growls of suddenly woken up wolves and kept making his way to wherever he wanted to go. Oftentimes, the Betas were observed as they walked back and forth; grabbing the youngest by the skin, take him back to his safe place and repeat the whole thing over and over until the puppy finally gave up and took a nap. It was exhausting but fun to watch.

To Jason's and Tim's relief, Grayson quickly got control over his bowels and bladder and he did not need any more help to relieve himself. However, he hadn't quite learned yet that he was supposed to go "potty" outside of the den and not randomly stop and do his business wherever he was standing. One day though, Jason decided it was enough.

  
It had been one of these nice days when the morning hunt was successful and they could make a feast fit for a king. The sun rays were piercing through the trees, the breeze was cool and the birds were happily sharing the news of the world. Jason was stretching his body, his muscles a little sore from the previous run. He lazily walked to his favorite spot, where he planned to enjoy a nice nap well deserved. And yet when he approached his goal he noticed a dark stain on the ground. The soft earth holding the smell of urine climbed up through his nostrils and it drove him mad. All of his calm, happy feelings were replaced with anger and frustration, and he was determined to punish the culprit who had ruined his day.

Turning around, it didn't take much time for him to find his little brother asleep in the middle of the den. He took hold of him by the skin, waking him up with a yelp he ignored, and dropped him not so nicely right next to where the crime had been committed. "What did we say about pissing ?" The young wolf growled furiously, his eyes staring right at his brother. The smaller one looked down at the earth that was starting to dry, then back up to Jason. There was no guilt in his face. Instead, he straightened his back, now sitting on his bum, and put his back legs sideways before tilting his head. It had only been one or two days since his ears had perked up, but his left's tip was still flopping.

Jason growled, his lips slightly lifted. "Don't you dare think acting all cute and innocent will save you this time."

He felt the eyes of one of the other wolves, but it did not seem like they were going to stop him from reprimanding the youngest. They were probably done with his shit too - or that's what Jason thought at the moment. Grayson finally got up, he put his head down and smelled before mockingly kicking the sand with his back feet. Another way to say "this is my territory" he had probably learned by watching them.  
Jason's growl came loud and fierce from his throat, his teeth were bare and he was about to latch himself when Tim came to the rescue.

The Beta aggressively barked and pushed the pup down, keeping his body between him and Jay's. It took an instant for Jason to understand why Tim was here. By correcting the brat himself, Tim had protected him from the wolf's anger and from getting badly bitten. At the same time, he made it clear he was on Jason's side and the juvenile felt his anger leave. He looked at the pup who had rolled on his back and had his tail tucked between his legs. Smacking his lips nervously, his eyes were too shy to meet his brothers'. Tim then looked over his shoulder to Jason. There was a silent conversation, a request to just let it go for this time.

Jay sighed. "This is the last time. You better stop being a dick now.“

As soon as he was done pronouncing the words, Grayson rolled back onto his legs and sprinted toward the safety offered by the hole Tim had dug weeks ago. There was a minute of silence broken by low, upset whines. The sable coloured Beta sat, his body relaxed now that the fight was over. All remained silent, except for Jason's mind which was constantly replaying what had just happened. Did he go too far ? Did he exaggerate ? Guilt meddled in his mind and the remorse gnawed at him.  
With heavy steps, he went to meet his little brother who was warning any one not to approach by pushing small, uncertain growls.

"Listen," Jason ignored "I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I was just mad at you for always doing that kind of shit over and over again when we keep telling you not to. So can we just forget about it for now ?"

The pup, still laying low on the ground to make himself as small as possible, ignored the older brother who frowned discontentedly. Instead, he was busy pawing at one of the many bones scattered around. They had been brought to him by the two younger brothers, so he could gnaw on them while they were busy or catching up on their sleep. A few of them had been chewed on a long time ago, even before Jason's arrival. In one of the piles, he recognized one of Damian's most cherished. Ah, so he did care about the pup in the end. After all, there was something rooting inside of them that made it impossible not to take care of him. Jason had even caught B. in the middle of a tug-of-war session with him, and he hadn't been able to turn his attention away from the game until the carcass broke in two pieces sending Grayson rolling away with a small piece of furry skin still between his teeth.

"I'm trying to talk to you there Grayson !" Jason growled. "The least you could do is at least look at me!"

A few meter behind, Tim was rolling his eyes. "Here we go again." He mumbled before joining the two youngsters. Keeping an eye only, he did not interrupt the one-way argument for he thought they had to figure things out themselves. Grayson still wasn't paying any attention to them, and Jason was quick to lose his temper once again.

"I fucking hate you, why did I have to find you in the first place ? We were doing so much better without a dick like you around!"

And then, the pup looked up.

His blue eyes were directly staring at the wolf, ears up and attentive he had stopped grumbling. Both wolves looked perplexes.  
"I think you hurt him, Jay." Tim frowned. "Grayson, he doesn't mean what he's saying." The ashen puppy didn't pay any attention to the Beta, he only stared at the bad tempered canine as if he was waiting for something.

Suddenly, Damian was behind them. Without a word, he placed himself next to Jason's free side and looked at him annoyed. "Drake, I'm disappointed I thought you were a better observer." His ears pulled back, and his eyes squinted with anger, he looked to the foul-mouthed brother. "But you, you've figured it out, haven't you ? So take responsibility for your idiocy and share with everyone what you've done."

The Beta frowned, he wasn't sure to follow where this was going. His head turned toward Jason, he noticed the unease in his body language ; lips smacking, eyes looking away, head shriveled between his shoulders. Something very uncommon for him to do. Tim's ears went forward, his eyes sending questions toward the unease wolf.

"I", even his voice sounded unsure. His body slowly went into an even more submissive posture, with him laying down and slightly turned so his stomach was visible to the Alpha's son. "Grayson thinks his name is Dick."

As soon as the last word was said, the dark grey puppy rose on his back legs and barked quizzically. His big blue eyes were staring at Jason, and the beginning of a wag was forming right behind him.  
Tim's expression showed his surprise, while Damian was looking even angrier at his embarrassed brother who was almost rolled onto his back.

 

Never had he felt that powerless in front of the older wolf, and it didn't help that the renamed wolfling was sniffing his furr curiously and chewing on one of his ears.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for not publishing this chapter earlier as I had promised but due to some "technical difficulties" I ended up losing it 4 times and I was getting more and more unsatisfied about how it was coming out.  
> Thank you for sticking around, for your nice and encouraging comments as well as all the Kudos!  
> I will see you in Chapter 3 for new (mis)adventures...!!


	3. Panem et Circenses

Morning came early in the wolf's den when a familiar howl rose in the sky before the sun.

Bruce was on his feet first, looking as if he hadn't been asleep a few seconds ago. He walked to the entrance and listened to the echoes rising from different areas in the forest. Damian was following him close, his steps heavy and less graceful than his father's. He sat next to him and lifted his nose up in the air, his nostrils inhaling the damp smells coming from the grass freshly covered with dew.  
Meanwhile, Tim remained at the back of their habitat. He had the habit to sleep curled up, but the sound had him raise his head. His ears were perked and stretched forward, his blue eyes shining as he paid close attention to what would come next. While he was still laying down, his muscles were tense enough he could dart out if need be. Normally, he would have been much more uneasy, but the older wolf's relaxed stance reassured him they were safe for now.

And then there were the two younger ones.

Jason was sleeping in the hole they had dug when Grayson first came to join their pack. He had taken a liking to the freshness it gave off of the ground during the warm spring nights. Sometimes he would roll on his back, exposing his abdomen and a back leg would rest on the edge, moving once in a while as he dreamed of hunts.  
The pup had decided to sleep with him on that night. Grayson liked to take turns on with who he went to spend his naps with, and he showed no interest in learning what personal space was. Sometimes, he would lay directly on the other wolf's body, which resulted in him getting growled and snapped at - but all he would do is roll on his back and wait for his target to relax before snuggling back against their warm, furry bodies. Even Damian, who was the least affectionate of the group, had given up on rejecting his affection. He would even allow the pup to play with his tail, as long as he didn't plunge his sharp teeth too hard through the skin.

Jason's grumbling forced one of Tim's ears to move sideways. A few whimpers came out of the pup, a call he always used when waking up alone or when roused from a deep sleep. It meant confusion, worry and possibly separation anxiety. Jason tossed his body around and kept on moaning annoyingly - he had never been a morning fan, especially when he was forced out of Morpheus' tender arms. Yet, the sound of wet kisses, a wagging tail and more groans meant Dick was up and wanted his brother to wake up as well. The beta thought about how he had learned to recognize those noises and their meanings in such little time, and how nice it was not to worry about every little squeak his youngest brother was making.  
He didn't have any need for light, as the picture was making itself in his brain automatically - Jason was turning to different directions, pushing away the small body with a little too much strength with a heavy, big paw. Meanwhile, Dick was being his usual stubborn self, licking and wriggling his way around the obstacle until he came out victorious from the battle.

However, this time, he got distracted from another row of howls. The pup's overly-sized ears went up and he listened quietly. Well, at least until he got the brilliant idea to reply to the call himself. A few whimpers and his nose pointed to the ceiling. The first cries were messy, short and cracked when he could not hold his voice and body posture any longer. The high pitched sound made all the wolves turn their head around, but the young did not care about the public and kept trying until a paw smacked his muzzle and he fell to his side in a cut cry.

"Shut up already !" Jason's raspy morning voice barked.

Dick whined twice, laying low and sad that his grumpy brother had interrupted him. The howls were still calling for him, and all he wished for was to answer them. His body was trembling and his eyes stared at his sleeping partner who kept hushing him anytime he tried a small whimper.

The others were still baffled at his action, for he still hadn't quite figured how to communicate verbally with them yet.  
At last, the Alpha responded - a low but powerful howl echoed in the den before being quickly joined by Damian's own cry. Followed Tim's and Alfred's, which were much quieter and short and Dick couldn't hold his short-breathed cry anymore. Finally, the last of the pack joined in, but it was more of a complaint. It sounded almost like he was begging: " _Let me sleep alreadyyyyy_!"

 

 

Two hours later and the pack was up and on the move.

Bruce requested that the three youngest accompany him while Damian went hunting with Alfred. As much as his body appeared old, Alfred had more than enough tricks to teach the younger generations when it came to hunting effectively.

  
The formation of the pack was a little disturbed with the unruly pup. Bruce took the lead as always, Jason and Tim were to follow slightly behind him, with Grayson between them. However, the youngest had different plans and it took the two brothers a lot of work to get him back in the line. Dick's attention span was barely able to hold him focused on a one or two-meter walk. He would quickly trail off, chasing a bug or gnaw at a stick that was standing in his way. Other times he tried to get to play with Jason, making him trip over and getting growled at.

  
When they reached the meeting place, both brothers sighed in relief. The trip had taken twice the time it usually took them, and some packs had gotten there first. Some familiar faces were quickly recognized while others had left marks of their presences.

"Well then," Tim started. "I guess I should meet up with the others, see if they can teach me anything about proper puppy training." He looked at the youngest, Dick seemed a little stunned. He had never seen so many different wolves in one area, and it was his first time in Yggdrasil's den. "It's okay Dickie, you're safe here." His nose gently rubbed against the pup's muzzle. "Besides, good old Jason will be watching over you."

The mostly black wolf opened his mouth, baffled. "What? Why me?"

"Why do you think Bruce wanted you to come along?" Tim asked in a passive-aggressive tone. "I'm here to gain knowledge. You're here to watch over him while he socializes."

Jason grumbled, feeling betrayed by the whole world. "Fine!" He spatted. "I'll watch the moppet, but there's no way I'm playing with the puppies."

The sable wolf only shrugged before walking in a different direction. He could still hear the adolescent's " _No fair. No fair. No fair!_ " behind him.

Jason sighed before herding Dick away from the stick he was chewing on. Ah, the joy of teething...  
A few turns and hops and they arrived at the nursery area -- called so because that was usually where all the mothers met with their youngs so they could play and learn their boundaries.

"Now, you go play with the other babies." Jason watched as the puppy seemed unsure, hiding between his legs and trying to play with him instead. "No. I said you go play with the others." He let one of his paws rest on his head before pushing him toward the group with his muzzle.  
Dick looked at the pups wrestling and jaw sparring, it did look kinda fun... He observed them for a while, only his tail moving when excitation took over him. Dick jumped up and turned around, ready to play with --- wait. Where did Jason go? His head turned around as he began to look frantically for the safety of a familiar face. Small anxious whines began to get louder but quickly ceased when the familiar voice of his brother got to his ears.

"What did I tell you? Go play!"

Thank goodness, Jason didn't abandon him! Grayson's tail began to shake his rump and he hopped toward the laying wolf. The closer he got, the higher Jason appeared to be. His brother was lazily laying on top of a big rock, Dick pushed himself up with his front paws resting against the big obstacle, his nose inspecting it as he whimpered some comments. Meanwhile, Jason didn't budge, he looked at him unimpressed until the pup tried to jump to him.

A small grin marked his face. "Don't tire yourself trying, I picked that one because it's way too high for you." However, Dick never took no for an answer and tried a couple times more until frustration took over his mind and he began to bark.

_Bark, bark, bark._

Jason was getting annoyed. He noted the omegas staring at him and he wasn't sure if they were judging his parental skills or if they were just confused by who this puppy was. He looked back down at Dick and growled him off, which was a lot more noise than anything. To his surprise, Grayson ran away yapping something that was totally similar to a " _Fuck you!_ " but in a puppy, polite way. If puppy language was polite at all.

And then it finally happened. An older puppy with a particularly orangy coat went to talk to him. The wolfling had big green eyes and was a few months older than Grayson. "Hey there, I don't think I know you. What's your name?"

At first, Dick watched the new head cautiously, but something about the way the wolf smiled put him quickly at ease. Jason watched carefully and replied from where he was laying. "His name's Grayson but he kinda replies more to Dick." Once again, he felt the looks of other wolves on him. Maybe calling your little brother Dick in front of puppies and parents wasn't a smart idea. Great.

"Well, huh, Dick. The name here's Wally." Another big, cheerful smile. "I'm from the Flash pack. We got our name from being the fastest wolves ever." The young male play bowed. "So, do you want to try to catch me in a game of chase?"

Grayson barked, he tried to communicate with words but it was hard to understand what he was trying to say. So instead, he began chasing the red colored wolf around.  
Jason, while acting like he didn't care, kept an eye on the two. He felt a little something turmoil in his chest, was that jealousy? Impossible. There's no way he could be jealous of a dumb carrot-colored wolf just because he was playing with his little brother, that he found first and he had to -- well, _fine_ , he had to admit it to himself he was a little jealous.

 

 

  
"Jason, wake up."

 

The black wolf opened his eyes with great difficulty. Who dare shake him off of his precious sleep? When did he even fall asleep?

 

" _Jason_."

 

With a grumble, he turned onto his other side. His body suddenly felt a force pulling him down, eyes opening wide he realized too late that he had slipped off his sleeping place and hit the ground with a loud thump.

"I'm just gonna say," the silhouette blocking the sun started, "you fell down on your own." With his eyes adjusting to the light, Jason could make out the amused expression of his brother. The young wolf groaned as he pushed himself up, waking his body with a good shake.

"I thought you were going to go learn some useful kinds of stuff, Timmers." The two wolves exchanged a muzzle rub, a greeting habit they agreed to keep silent about a long time ago.

"And I thought you were supposed to watch over Grayson. Imagine the surprise when I saw you were snoring instead." There was no surprise in Tim's expression. "Looks like he made quite some friends."

Both wolves turned their head toward the group of puppies, they were sitting in front of an elder, ears perked up as they listened attentively as she spoke. Dick was leaning against Wally, his body getting tired of sitting in the same position but still too stubborn to lay down. They could see him flinch along with a few others, and Jason felt a little angry when the young wolf gave him a reassuring nudge.

"Remember how much you used to love storytelling time?" Of course Tim had to bring that up. That damn beta always knew too much, or so Jason thought. "Not that I can blame you, Ms. Kapelput is an amazing storyteller. She could almost beat Alfred to it." The black wolf hummed at that; he didn't know the old lady that well, but she had a way with words and he was pretty sure she could make anything sound interesting. Even Bruce's sermons - _maybe_.

Tim watched his spaced-out brother and, with a cheeky smile, playfully bumped him with his shoulder. "Come on, let's go listen!"

Jason tried to refuse, but the beta's insistence got the better of him and he followed anyway. They sat down behind the crowd of puppies, and to his surprise, Dick joined them. The pup made a circle before letting his body flop on the floor ungracefully, his fur tangling with his.

Jason's eyes met with Wally's, and he couldn't help grinning triumphantly. The young wolf, a little intimidated, quickly turned back but not fast enough that Jason was able to see the irked look on his face.

Oh, how he was going to enjoy this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is over, which means more free times, which means... I'm going to post as much as I can!  
> It has been way too long and I feel awful for anyone who waited to hear more of the adventures of our puppers.  
> I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to let me know if you see any big mistakes!


	4. Sub umbra floreo

The legend says that, centuries ago, the Thunder fell into the Earth and cracked it open. For days, rain poured down on the broken ground, filling the crevasses forming the rivers, lakes, and oceans we know. The ground was turned and reshaped with each drop falling from the sky. It remained wet and muddy until the wind pushed the clouds away and the sun was able to gaze upon it.  

 

One day, Fritzi, the Great White Stag, along with Ingram, the Raven of peace, who always perched on her companion's great horns, arrived in these new lands. Fritzi's horns were massive, and flowers bloomed among them as if they were part of a tree. Despite their heavyweight and size, the animal kept his head high and proud. Ingram, in contrast with the stag's fur, had a body as black as the deep of the sea.  Known to love anything shiny, words of her stealing stars from the night had spread among the creature of earth. It was said that each time she opened her wing, a stolen nebula could be seen among her feathers.

 

" _This land shall become home to many_." The majestic stag spoke after tasting the river's water. " _Fishes, birds, and mammals will grow in harmony and balance shall be created._ "

 

Ingram flew over the naked ground. " _Do not forget my friend, for flowers, trees and plants shall first nurture this newborn earth._ " The Raven dropped a seed in the river. " _The Giant Tree should live again._ "

 

Fritzi bowed, his great horns reaching the water, petals being carried calmly by the current. " _Our blessings are yours. Now it is time to wake, Yggdrasill_."

 

As to answer their wish, the small seed took root on the floor of the waters and began growing. Roots spread from underground and hills were created. The trunk of the tree rose from the water and grew until it almost reached the clouds. Branches formed and among them, flowering buds opened, dropping instantly seeds and pollen getting carried by the wind. The ground that previously lacked any signs of life turned into a fierce green. As Ingram had said, plants of many sizes and many colors rose from the earth.

 

And then came the animals - grass-eaters, water-divers, and mammals began to appear and co-exist in the new environment. Insects would pollinate plants, grazed upon by herbivores. Fishes would feed onto some wandering bugs, and then they would be eaten by other mammals who then died and were consumed by insects. The balance between communities settled and none lacked food or shelter. 

 

However, such fast, marvelous creation came with a price. Fritzi lied at the foot of Yggdrasill. " _I shall now become one with your roots._ " The great white stag closed his eyes, his body grown weak from the summoning.  " _My spirit will watch over your roots, so you will never fall_."

His friend, the Raven, landed in the branches of the newly grown tree. " _And I shall watch over the lands, as one of your fierce branches. My spirit is with you, so you will never wither and always produce enough fruit_."

 

 

As centuries passed, the land under Yggdrasill grew to be home to many. Big and small, the Stag's and the Raven's spirits watched over them.

 

Until they appeared. A new mammal arrived and disturbed the peaceful balance. Big was its greed, as it fought for more land, for more blood. Close descendent of Canidae, these creatures were known as werewolves. Part of their soul had been cursed; tainted by the hands of men who had never obtained access to Yggdrasill's lands. As the werewolves took over and claimed territory, many residents were annihilated. Yet the evil creature was never satisfied and fight among themselves began to occur. The river turned red from all the bloodshed, and innocent survivors began to flee the blessed land until only the werewolves remained. 

 

On one stormy day, the wind whispered words of warning. " _On the next full moon, Yggdrasill shall wipe out the tainted beasts_." Birds carried the news among their songs when they had previously been too scared to sing for they could end up in the stomach of one of the wolves.

The river's water brought another whisper, " _The earth shall swallow the tainted beasts. Locking them in its belly forever._ ", and the frogs croaked it loudly every night.

 

When the full moon came, the werewolves had gathered under the Giant Tree's roots. They were divided into two groups and were having a heated argument. One group believed in the prophecy and wanted to make peace with Nature, while the others mocked them for being so gullible.

 

"This is just the weaks’ way of trying to scare us." One Alpha said, gaining nods of approval from others. "If you're so scared, you should have left or hidden under your mother's legs." Another couple of laughter rose from the agreeing wolves.

 

Some wolves started to doubt their belief, while others shook their heads. "What if they aren't lying? We have been greedy, we have tainted these lands with death and fear. We killed many innocent creatures, just to satisfy our pleasure and not for necessity." One of the wolves stood proudly and looked at the defying alpha. "You think you are strong because you are able to kill, but the real strength is to acknowledge your mistakes and find ways to fix it."

 

A couple of growls and insults arose among the groups, the air became dense with the tension building up. Ears pushed forward, hackles raised and lips pursed, all were waiting for another to be distracted, show a sign of weakness.

As the fight was about to start, the Earth began to shake and open under the wolves' feet. Screams of terrors resonated over the forest as many were engulfed and fell to their death before the earth closed again. Some called for help, trying to catch something to stop them from falling. Their eyes wide open, they could see the Giant Tree looking down on them.

Most of the wolves who had believed in the prophecy were left unharmed, they watched in horror as more than a hundred had been killed under their eyes. They looked at the Giant Tree who sprouted a new root were many had fallen, and the spirit of the Great White Stag and the Raven appeared among the blooming flowers.

 

" _Your thirst for blood brought misery upon the blessed lands_." Ingram cawed with anger. " _You forced us to eradicate your species._ "

 

" _Yet, Yggdrasill chose to punish only some of you_." Fritzi's voice was calm, he looked at each of the remaining wolves. " _It seems the Great Tree is giving you another chance_." The werewolves looked at one another, eyes wide and unsure. _"You will spread into smaller groups. You will hunt only to sustain your needs, and you will have your own territories_."

 

No one dared to move or say a word until a handful of them took a step forward. "We will live as you dictate us to. We will not do the same mistakes twice."

 

The Stag nodded in approval. " _You, who have stepped forward, will be known as the leaders. Gather your packs and remember this night. Tell it to your pups, tell them what you did wrong and teach them accordingly, so they never do the same_."

 

The newly made leaders nodded, they agreed on a treaty of peace and sealed it with howls. The land was renamed Yggdrasill's den, and any members of the packs were allowed to walk across its ground in the condition that no blood was shed on the sacred roots.

 

Ms. Kapelput looked at the pups as she finished narrating her story. "And this is why you and I are able to meet each other without getting into any casualties." She smiled, the way only a caring grandmother would. "Now, remember, everything we have from the food we eat to the trees giving us shade from the sun is because of the Giant Tree Yggdrasill's along with Fritzi's and Ingram's blessings. So, make sure you cherish your lives and love the ones surrounding you."

 

Some of the pups nodded, taking her words very seriously. Jason looked at Dick who had nodded off at some point and was resting with his head burrowed in his fur. "Guess you're still a bit too young to stay awake that long, huh?" He watched Grayson's chest rise in a calm rhythm, the day must have been exhausting for the young guy. Meanwhile, Tim was talking with the old storyteller and the black wolf watched them as he thought about the story. As much as he liked to hear it every time, he always felt uneasy at the idea that his kind was related to humans.

 

Why did he have to be close to something he despised so much?

 

 

 

 

 

Bruce walked to the Alpha's meeting place. He noticed most of them were already here as their head turned to greet the newcomer.

 

One of them stood up and made some space for Bruce to join the circle. "Glad you made it." Clark had blue eyes, dark fur, and would easily be mistaken for Bruce if it wasn't for the dark shades of blue reflected by the light in his coat.  The wolf had a deep voice, but unlike Bruce's, it sounded just as gentle as his whole body language demonstrated. He was loved by many and respected by almost all to the point some thought if the packs were to merge he would easily become the head alpha.

 

Accepting the offer, the alpha sat down but kept some space in between them. Bruce wasn't very fond of Clark, they argued a lot and even used to get into fights. Thanks to Diana, Bruce agreed on making peace with the other. For now.

 

"How's your new intake?" Diana asked. She was standing proudly and with elegance, it was hard not to find her beautiful. Her eyes were as versatile as her actions, constantly changing colors with the weather and lighting, yet today they were dark enough for anyone to get lost in them. Her beauty wasn't her only attractive feature, to the commoners' eyes she appeared to be like a queen but anyone getting to know her would tell she was more of a warrior. By far the biggest Alpha of them all, she had enough strength to stand her ground in fights.

 

"He's growing fast. I brought him along, I thought he could use some socialization." Bruce spoke monotonously, wondering where and what his new pup was up to and with whom he may have been forming bonds while he was there. Oh, how he hoped he wouldn't get along with the troublemakers. Speaking of troublemakers, it seemed like one of the alphas didn't respond to the call. "Where's Barry?"

 

The dark wolf barely had time to finish his sentence before a sable canine rushed out of the bushes. "Ah, I'm late! I'm late!"

 

And here was.

 

Barry was one of the youngest alphas at the head of a pack. While very smart, to the eyes of the others he still had a lot to learn about leading. Unlike Bruce, Barry was very expressive and had a hard time to keep his emotions away from his actions, which was both a strength and weakness. However, the young male had a lot of potentials, and he had proven himself worthy to sit among the alpha packs quite quickly. Now if only he could stop arriving late...

 

"For the leader of the fastest wolves, you can be quite slow." One alpha commented, followed with some chuckles. Barry, embarrassed, slumped a little. He was used to the tease, but he always felt a little ashamed for arriving last.

 

"Anyway," Clark started, getting the attention of everyone again. "We need to discuss the upcoming human festival. This year, it's Diana's pack's turn to participate." The wolf looked at his comrade sitting on his right. "However, I think Bruce should be the one to go." He looked at the wolf next to him. "You had a pack massacred in your territory, and I think you are the best fitted to get information about what the village could be up to."

 

Bruce nodded. "Alfred and I have been there for many years, we've gained the trust of the villagers." The other wolves listened quietly to the two of them exchanging words.

 

"But... Is it really safe to get close to them after what actually happened?" Every head turned to look at the sable wolf. "I mean, they did kill a whole pack and we don't know why." The young man frowned, muttering his concerns. "It's just... I don't really want them finding us. My pack's got quite a few pups to take care of, we wouldn't be able to stand a war at the moment."

 

Diana gently nudged him with her muzzle, comforting him like a mother would a pup. "We're not talking about a war, we just need to gather some information." They exchanged a smile.

 

"Diana is right." Clark agreed. "And I understand your concerns, Barry. But we cannot stay in the dark of ignorance, it's only for precaution."

 

 

 

When the alphas went to gather their pack members, the sun was painting the sky with fierce orange. They had a lot of catch up to do, about the status of the migratory animals, the investigation on everyone's territory - too many subjects were covered to remember them all at once.

 

As Bruce was about to go search for his companions, Diana called out to him. "Bruce." He looked over his shoulder, the beautiful female was looking at him with a hint of concern. "Be careful out there."

 

The black wolf only replied with a nod before disappearing into the greenery, his thoughts pushing one another in his mind.

 

The next weeks were going to be a lot of work for his pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt this chapter may have been a little rushed, or appear wonky with the attempt of giving a backstory... However, I hope you enjoyed it, please feel free if something doesn't make sense of if you see a mistake somewhere!


	5. E pluribus unum

Dick snuggled right against Damian, the older's fur offering some warmth during the stormy day. The pup had grown tremendously since the day they found him; he wasn't the small, squirmy worm who complained when things didn't go his way. Now he was tall enough to run in a somewhat decent fashion, he was able to play with his friends from other packs, and he could eat like a big boy. The complaining side, though, was another story.  While acquiring more mobility, it made his curiosity grow and it was hard to keep him quiet. The pup had a lot of energy and a thirst for adventure which gave even more work to his brothers. Fighting snakes, chasing wasps and stealing berries from bears, Tim had earned a couple grey hair when he was keeping watch.

 

Grayson also managed to pick on speech, his first word taking the whole pack by surprise. It happened on the day after their visit at Yggdrasill's den, the wolves decided to take it easy and stroll around their territory. However, Dick had other plans and objected to the idea, walking in a circle and sitting like he always would when something displeased him.

 

"What do you want?" Damian asked, his head lowered so his nose was ruffling the puppy's fur.

Grayson stuck out his chest, brows furrowed as he took a very serious expression. "Bow!"

At the foreign voice, the other wolves present jerked their head around to see a very surprised Damian. "Excuse me?" The black wolf looked at the small one who repeated himself again and again and again.

Jason snickered. "Looks like someone's bossing you around, demon spawn." The comment earned him an evil glare. He instantly knew he was going to be dead meat soon.

 

No regrets.

 

 

They later learned that what Dick wanted back then was to play and wanted his older brother to invite him in a play bow. Since that day, Dick's vocabulary grew with words they sometimes had to figure out their meanings. The young wolf called their Alpha "Bus" no matter how often they corrected his pronunciation. Alfred was "Arff", a sound very close to a random bark, Damian became "Ami" and Jason was renamed "hey". The later wouldn't admit it, but he was a little jealous that only Tim was called by his name properly.

Overall, they had fun teaching him new words and had to admit that their little brother was a fast learner when he wanted to. His attention span was still relatively short, so when things became too repetitive or annoying, the puppy would go back to barking only. Worse, sometimes, he would completely ignore them and act as if they weren't even here!

 

To increase his socialization skills, the packs organized play dates. The grown-ups would often discuss important matters while the pups played with each other. Tug-of-war, chase, jaw-sparring... Grayson enjoyed them all and was particularly happy on days where he could spend time with his designated best friend, Wally. Or should we say "Woah-lly"?

The orange wolf and Jason still had that silent rivalry happening between them, but it often turned in them challenging each other at dumb games and getting scolded by the Betas of both pack for being bad examples for the younger pups. In addition, Wally had nicknamed his younger friend Robin, as he found his name a little too embarrassing to call out among the others.

 

Grayson, Dick, Robin... No matter what name he was given, the pup was quick to adapt and would rush to the person calling one of his names with a giddy smile, always ready for something fun to happen.

 

 

 

The last recent days were spent in the den, where the storm couldn't reach the pack. They still had to make some trips outside of course, but the usual hours spent hunting and lazing around were replaced by quick trips to the bathroom or to lap puddles formed by rainwater. Bruce watched as his pack members grew edgy with the more time they spent stuck inside. Jason and Damian were arguing a lot more, and Tim was getting tired of breaking fights. Even Alfred's tricks couldn't distract Grayson any longer. His pack needed to run, jump and release the build-up of adrenaline soon or they would end up killing each other.

 

The alpha looked out, the rain carried by the blowing wind felt like icy needles piercing through the cover offered by their thick coat. Some trees had fallen victims to the anger of the sky, causing one of them to cry in the middle of the night. The younger wolves later told him it had been Dick who had been startled by the loud crash of the tree. For some reason, Bruce didn't quite believe he was the origin of the scream, but he did not bother looking into the case further and just let it be.

 

"Since we can't go out once again, I want you all to practice in your shifting abilities." He looked at his family, some faces scrunching their noses. He could already hear the complaints before they even started.

 

"Do we really have to?" Tim spoke first. He managed to hide his displeasure better than the other two.

 

"That sucks!" Jason barked from the hole that he had claimed his. "I would rather lay down in the storm!"

 

But the one who looked upset the most, whose grimace could have been the origin of many nightmares, was actually the oldest of the four. Teeth showing thanks to a half-lifted lip due to high disgust, ears pushed flat, and eyes squinted, Damian was using all of his will-power not to explode.  After all, he was the oldest. He was a collected alpha, not a child.

Jason stared at him, half understanding and half itching to mock him. His older brother's face reminded him of someone who had been offered a big turd on a deliciously fresh deer leg. It was hilarious, but terrifying at the same time.

 

Bruce sighed. "I don't like it much either, but we need to practice if we want to be ready before the next festival." The alpha could see the shared feeling among the brothers. "The faster you master the shapeshift, the faster I will stop nagging you."

 

Groans.

 

The wolves reluctantly agreed. Their skills were rusty and, with the double amount of focus they usually required, they barely managed to transform their paws into something looking like hands, their pelvis to reshape itself well enough to bear the weight of their upper bodies. All in all, the boys looked like what werewolves were described in fables: a mixture of a man and a beast, ugly and hairy, back arched forward with a too well-defined ribcage.

 

"Ewww!" The youngest expressed, his head retreated between his shoulders, his tail between his legs, he stepped back. "Why so scary?" If he hadn't been there to witness his brothers shift, he would definitely have run away from them.

 

"Shut up, grub!" Jason, or at least Dick assumed it was him, growled. "It's hard and you didn't even try." The bipedal monster stomped toward him, arms stretched as he tried to catch him and getting nipped at in return. "You little..." The werewolf began to chase the other one, first on his hind legs but then using his arms as it was too difficult to keep up the pace. The pup ran as fast as he could, screaming from the monstrosity that was going to haunt his coming nights.

 

Paying no attention to them, the youngest Beta focused on trying to perfect his transformation. First, he focused on losing the fur covering his hands and arms until they turned into a pale pink. It felt odd to see his skin naked, as usually it was due to a wound or scratching at too many bug bites. He looked at his digits, his claws turning into thin fragile nails and toes elongating to become fingers. When flipping them over, he noticed the flesh of his pads had dissolved into soft palms that wouldn't withstand the harshness of running outside. Not too bad, he thought to himself.

To his right, Damian was also working on his appearance, cursing under his breath at how much of a pain the exercise was. Having more experience than the others, he was the closest to resemble a man if it wasn't for pointy teeth, curved back and long arms. He eyed the young beta who was working hard and thought _: I can't lose to him_. His competitive side was what pushed him to work harder.

 

Meanwhile, Bruce and Alfred had successfully calmed the two youngest. Dick was the one who would require the most training if they wanted to be successful in time. The pup had never shifted, and his frown expressed his suspicions as Alfred attempted to explain to him how to trigger his ability.

 

"You need to picture yourself as a human." The older wolf stated.

 

"Uhm, no." The frowning pup said, making Bruce sigh. This one could be just as stubborn as Jason sometimes. In the blink of an eye, the pup had disappeared from where he was previously sitting but a quick scan of the surrounding allowed the alpha to see him attempting to bite one of his brother' shrinking tail.

 

"Perhaps we should show him what a human actually looks like. " Alfred's voice was monotone, his eyes set on Tim who was trying to encourage him to shift. He could hear the words "just like that" and "then you do that" and the pup who did try to follow the direction but was unsuccessful in the end.

 

"This could work." Bruce nodded. However, he was certain no human would venture out in that weather. They would have to plan for an excursion as soon as Mother Nature's anger settled.

For now, they had to let him be and focus on their own training.

 

 

Eventually, Dick grew bored of being on his own and watching his brothers looking like having fun –  by which he meant watching Jason mock everyone's flaws – the young pup decided to give it a try again. Standing up on all fours, he shook his whole body and tried to picture what a human may look like. He had observed the five examples in front of him, and while they weren't perfect, he thought they mustn't be very far from the actual thing.  The whole trick ended up much more difficult than he expected. He managed to get his front legs to change shape into scrawny, weird looking arms. His muzzle shrunk slightly, and he felt like he had just face planted against a rock with full speed. He stuck his tongue out to see if he could still reach his nose and was shocked to feel smooth, flat teeth inside of his mouth. What was he supposed to be? A deer? Were humans grass-eaters? _Booooring!_

Dick watched his brothers work on their ability to walk with only their rear legs and decided to give it a try. He could feel his back legs tremble unsteadily as he attempted to keep his form, his elongated front paws trying to stabilize him by moving to each side of his chest like when he tried to catch mocking branches from trees.

 

As he was about to fall backward, he felt someone place their hands around his waist and help him stand. "Not too bad." The stranger commented. Dick looked over his shoulder to see his oldest brother look down on him. "You need to get your legs straighter. Try to imitate Drake's posture." Young blue eyes followed the other's gaze until Tim became visible. Dick stared at his back legs, they weren't as curved as a wolf's but more uniform like a deer's front legs. His back paws were also a lot flatter and longer, it was truly weird looking but seemed to do the job. Slowly, Grayson let his ankles bend until a 90-degree angle was formed with the ground.

"That's better."

 He was suddenly filled with pride; his other brother was praising him and that made him so happy he wanted to hear it again. The pup lifted one leg and attempted to make a step and, with Damian still supporting him, he managed to walk two more steps before getting his own legs confused and lose all balance.

 

Oh, how he felt embarrassed when he noticed that all sets of eyes in the den had seen him fail his attempt!

 

And yet, he only received words of encouragements, even Jason was praising him for trying. He watched as Jason crouched down, arms wide open and a grin twisting his ugly face. "Come on Dick, you can do it!"

He watched as Tim did the exact same thing next to the other werewolf. "You're doing great, Grayson."

His eyes went to Bruce who was smiling. This smile was Dick's favorite; it felt warm and kind when the Alpha usually looked distant and cold. He noticed the way Alfred nodded, and his eyes went back to Damian's as if he was unconsciously looking for everyone's approval.

 

"What are you waiting for?" The young alpha asked before giving him a gentle push. Still being held by his brother's grasp, the youngest was now determined to master this new art of walking - or at least until he was able to reach the rest of his family.

 

A _first_ step.

Not too shabby if he may say.

 

A _second_ step _._

He could feel his confidence come back with full force.

 

A _third_ step.

He barely registered Tim's excited giggle.

 

A _fourth_ step.

The supporting hands let go of him.

 

A _fifth_ step.

He paused to make sure he was still standing up.

 

A _sixth_ , a _seventh_ , an _eighth_ and by the _ninth'_ step he clumsily reached his brothers' arms and laughed as he was showered with praise and loving attention.

 

 

 

Who thought walking as a two-legged could be so rewarding?


End file.
